Yeah, flushing it out might help temporarily, but honestly, once rust shows up, you're usually on borrowed time. Checking the anode rod is a good call—I've seen heaters where the rod was basically just a rusty stick, totally useless. If that's your case, replacing it now could buy you some extra months or even a year. But in my experience, once corrosion starts eating away at the tank lining itself...you're better off biting the bullet and getting a new heater before you end up with a flooded basement.
Replacing the anode rod can definitely buy you some time, but have you checked the pressure relief valve yet? Sometimes rust buildup there can cause issues too. I'd give that a quick look before deciding to replace the whole thing...might save you some hassle.
Good point about the pressure relief valve—I overlooked that once and ended up replacing a heater way sooner than I needed to. A couple years back, I had a tenant complaining about rusty water, and my first thought was the anode rod too. Swapped it out, but the issue lingered. Turned out the valve was pretty gunked up with rust and sediment. Cleaned it out, flushed the tank thoroughly, and the water cleared right up. Got another solid two years out of that heater before finally needing a replacement.
So yeah, definitely worth checking the valve before jumping into a full replacement. But if your heater's already pushing 10-12 years, you might wanna start budgeting for a new one anyway. Rust issues tend to be a sign that the tank's days are numbered, even if you buy yourself some extra time.
Totally agree on checking the valve first—seen plenty of folks jump straight to replacing anodes or whole tanks when a simple flush could've done wonders. But honestly, once rust starts popping up regularly, you're kinda on borrowed time anyway...might wanna start saving those pennies.
Good points on the valve check—definitely worth a shot before shelling out for a new tank. One thing I'd add, though: have you checked the water quality itself? Sometimes rusty water isn't just about the heater. I've seen cases where old galvanized pipes upstream were the real culprit, and folks ended up replacing perfectly good heaters for nothing.
Here's a quick way to narrow it down: run cold water from a faucet near the heater for a minute or two. If it's rusty too, your heater might be innocent after all. If it's clear, then yeah, your tank's probably on its way out.
Also, if you're flushing the tank, pay attention to what comes out. A little sediment is normal, but if you're getting chunks of rust or flakes, that's usually a sign things are deteriorating inside. At that point, even if you squeeze another year or two out of it, you're probably better off budgeting for a replacement sooner rather than later.
